Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1887-01-22

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of the suffering. L am quite certain
that he never dealt in II article
usually found in a, modern Missouri
drug store, and which ome people
tauntingly say constitutes the chief
gist. 1t may be that in SonOma valley
and on Rushing river, no venomous
snakes are found, and hence no anti
dOte for snake bite is ever needed. DR..
Boggs was an old man years ago, when
he first went to California, and he is
sill a hale, hearty old man and his heart
warmed, and his co%untenance glowed
with delight while talking about old
Westport and her grand people of
other days. We got our dinner at
Cloverdale, and then had to wait for
several hours, before the stage started
over the hills and up the mountains
for the geysers. The hotel where we
dined was the stage stand, and there
were several stage lines across the
mountains that conferred here. Ours
was a two horse Jersey coach, or mud
wagon, as we used to call them here
in Missouri. They have to be strong
and tough and well made, and drawn
by we'll trained horses and driven by
skillful drivers to suit the demands of
the route from Cloverdale to the gey-
sers, and other points in this noun
famous region. The Lakeport stage
was q f%our-horse Concord coach and
we envied the passengers over this
line az we saw them start off in q tull
run before we left, but as this route and
ours were the same for several miles,
we soon 0avA ovAR 01rs6nViOus feeling,
and bednSnss 5f3t6sour less pre-
1890 Hz3Gt the old Con-
FcoSdzf6ik I'D &6d6s4S 8ship at sea-, as
Ezf6 24I5n6od the sides of the mountains.
Our party of three, one lady and two
gentlemen, were the only passengers
for the geysers, and after q wearis0me
delay we got started. l took a seat on
the outside with the driver. I told
where l was going, and where l
came from, and cautioned him to be
careful and to land us safely at the
geysers. Why, says he, 81 am q Mis-
sourian, from Ray county, near old
Camden. You a rest easy, dispel
all your fears,I have never tipped over,
and have never met with an accident.
| would not harm a Nissonrian for the
world" and sure enough, Mr.. Editor,
he was a capital driver, the best to be
had anywhere; he had captured me at
once. [ notified my companions on
the inside to be perfectly easy, that all
was right, a Missourian was at the
helm, and a safe trip was already as
sured Us. His name was Sacre, and
| he had been in California since 1861,
| and had been driving a coach over the
mountains for more than ten years.
lie knew every crook and turn in the
road we had to pass over, and with
his ready tongue well skilled by the
| much using, he told me of every
| thing connected with the history of
| this route, and pointed out everything
of note, and made himself agreeable
generally, not only by his talking. but
especially by his driving. We had not
gone far before we came to Rushing
or Russian river, I can't say which,
although duly informed by Mr.. Jehu.
Let 1t be either, and it is appropriately
named. Its waters are as clear and
cold as though they flowed from
Siberia, and they dashed down their
rocky channel something after the
fashion of the "waters at Lodore."
| On our way we passed by III old mill
near the road-si it was a water mill
and used an over-shot wheel. Our
| driver, Sacre, pointed it out, saying,
"There is the largest wheel in the
| state its diameter is SO feet, and it
runs a mill such az you eve saw in
your life. By the same machiney they
| grind flour and make ice." 1t is an
ice mill and it was a nice old mill.
After a drive of IL miles, which oc-
| cupied about p hours. and in making
which we had assembled nearly four
thousand feet, we reached the Geyser
| Hotel safe and sound, but a little
wearled. Part of the time we were
driving along the edge of the noun
tains, where there was but n track,
and below us we saw the trees grow
ing and a slight tip over, and we would
have been dashed hundreds of feet
down the hill side. At first l held on
tight to the old coach as we went by
these dangerous looking places, and
iuvoluntarilv leaned toward the bill
side. l dared not look down the abyss
below, lest l should fall. But soon
this feeling of dread left me, and /
could sit at ease and enjoy with delight
the scenery above and below me. AT
one point we met a wagon. and to
allow it to pass, we had to back down
some considerable distance, and then
by taking hold of the wagon, and care
fully and slowly driving its team, got
the party by US, and we hurried on.
On our way up the geysers we miss
ed the birds, saw but few; we me
with some new flowers, and shrubs
and trees; we saw the wild nutmeg
growing, also the wild calscsnthus
Having reached the hotel and gotter
our rooms and brushed some of tn,
dust from our clothes, my California
friend and 1 started out to hunt thu
the bath houses, which we soon found
and proceeded to enjoy them, an,
while enjoying in imagination the de
lightful sensations produced upon M
by natures warm water, l will res
for another week. r.